


MYSTERIOUS

by chaekmate (usernamewhatamidoing)



Series: Inktober [11]
Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-24
Updated: 2017-10-24
Packaged: 2019-01-22 12:24:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12481500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/usernamewhatamidoing/pseuds/chaekmate
Summary: When Chaeyoung left the note behind she wasn’t expecting any response- she wasn’t exactly complaining though.Or: Chaeyoung is an art major who is struggling with her chemistry class. Enter: Mina Myoui and a very special reference book.





	MYSTERIOUS

Chaeyoung knew she should have been listening to the lecture, but if she were being honest, she had gotten lost the minute her professor started their presentation, opting instead to focus on filling the blank page of her notebook with flowing designs and caricatures. 

It's not like she hated the subject, she just didn't understand it.

There were too many formulas to memorize- too many rules to remember. She always thought of herself as more of a visual learner, so when it came to chemistry, she got lost in the conceptuality of the material.

(A part of her accepted that as a viable excuse, but another part of her conceded to the fact that she really was lacking in the math department).

"Chaeyoung are you coming?" 

"Huh?" 

Blinking, she lifted her head from the desk to find that the lecture hall had nearly cleared out. 

“Oh, right, sorry.” 

“You do know the midterm is coming up, in like, two weeks right?” Dahyun chastised. “Are you going to be ready?” 

“Of course, yeah, I just, need to look over my- notes.” 

Both looked down at the graffitied page that held everything but chemistry. 

“Chaeyoung-“ 

“It’ll be fine, don’t worry.” She flashed her friend a wide smile. "I’ve got this.” 

-

She was lost. 

Nothing about covalent and ionic bonds made any sense at all to her and she was utterly lost. 

(Not like she would ever admit that to Dahyun though, despite the latter actually being quite proficient in the class). 

No, she would have to find another way to magically understand the past six chapters without her friend’s help. 

Which led her to her last resort- the library. 

If she had to count the number of times she’d set foot in the library, it would have been zero. 

She never had the need to go really, and now, she felt awkward as she wandered through the towering shelves trying to find the right section. 

“Can I help you?” A voice spoke from behind her making her jump slightly in surprise. 

Twisting around, she found herself face to face with a smiling, spectacled woman. 

“I’m Sana, an assistant librarian here. What brings you in today?” 

“I- well, I was just looking for the science section…”

“Sure!” Sana nodded excitedly, taking her hand and tugging her further into the room. “Follow me!”

After ducking through a hallway and climbing the steps to the second floor, Chaeyoung finally found herself being released. “This is the reference section- you mentioned science right? Do you have chemistry with Dr. Park?”

“Yeah, how did you know?” Chaeyoung tilted her head in confusion. 

“You wouldn’t be the first person who came in today looking for this,” Sana pulled out a small step ladder from the side and reached to pull a large looking title from the shelf. “This is an annotated guide that should help you and give you some basic tips.”

“Okay, great. Thanks so much.” She gave a polite smile and took the book from the other, arm straining under its weight almost immediately. 

“Is there anything else I can do for you today?”

“N-no this is great, thanks.” 

Turning on her heel, Chaeyoung made to go check the book out when Sana called to her again. 

“Um, just to remind you that is a reference book.” 

“Oh, right…”

“So, they can’t leave the library.” 

“Right…of course.” She let out an embarrassed chuckle. 

“Let me show you where the tables are.”

-

After her awkward encounter with Sana, she slowly sank down into a chair and proceeded to flip to the first section in the book, and it was in that moment that she realized she really should have come sooner because she didn’t understand _anything_.

(At the end of two hours, she’d barely made a dent in the homework and only managed to understand how a fraction of the formulas worked. Still, she was quite proud of the progress she had made- she was even so thorough as to write a list of things she didn’t understand to ask her professor later). 

Suddenly, a shrill ding was heard making the other student’s turn their heads to glare at her. Scrambling through the piles of notes and books she cringed as the dings continued to sound before finally locating the device and promptly silencing it.

Breathing a sigh of relief she glanced down to find three messages from Dahyun. 

_From Dubu: Hey, just to remind you we promised Momo we’d watch her showcase tonight_

_From Dubu: We’re meeting at the cafe across from the campus first_

_From Dubu: See you soon!_

Checking the time she cursed seeing that she only had 15 minutes to get there. She quickly crammed everything back into her bag before climbing the ladder to put the book back- in her haste forgetting the list she’d made inside its pages. 

// 

“Are you coming with us?” Momo asked, freshly showered after the show. 

“No, sorry, I actually have to go back to the library.” She pouted, sad that she couldn’t celebrate with her friends.

“What? You? Going to the library?” Nayeon cried exaggeratedly. “What is this the twilight zone?” 

“Is this because you never pay attention in Dr. Park’s class?” Dahyun questioned, a knowing smirk already forming. 

“Aw, I think it’s good that Chaeyoung is trying, cut her some slack.” Jeongyeon soothed, throwing an arm around her shoulder. 

“If you guys are done making fun of me, I’m heading out.” She rolled her eyes and pried herself out of the others grasp. 

-

The lights were on but when she entered there were barely any students left, most finding their way out for the night. 

Making her way back to the reference section, she pulled the textbook down and brought it to a table, eyes immediately spotting a piece of paper sticking out of the edge.

Flipping the cover back, Chaeyoung was shocked to find the list of questions she had made, except with extra notes written in the margins. The handwriting was small but clear, and to her own surprise she found that the notes actually answered many of her questions.

Glancing around, she looked to see if anyone else was there, only to find that she was alone. 

Working through the problems with the extra notes made things go significantly faster. Whoever it was must have been pretty smart- and generous considering how detailed they were.

(She couldn't think of anyone from her class who would do such a thing, but she left a small thank you note regardless).

//

Chaeyoung stopped by the library the next day after that in the hopes of catching the person, but to no avail; only finding that the thank you she had left was gone and replaced with a quaint little post-it note with the words ‘no problem’ scribbled on it. 

Taking her place at the table she’d mentally claimed as her own, she started taking notes from the book, jotting down questions on a separate piece of paper like the last time. 

Before leaving that day though, she hesitated, wondering what would happen if she left the questions inside again. 

(And that's exactly what she does, along with a formal note this time, expressing her confusion with the topic along with a personalized doodle).

-

When she goes back at the same time the following day, she finds that each of her questions had been answered in painstaking detail and extra piece of paper was tacked onto the front.

_'the doodles are really cute.'_

//

It becomes an everyday thing, her leaving notes and doodles in the book and receiving comments back, and by the time her midterm rolls around, Chaeyoung almost feels confident.

(She barely manages an 80 percent but that was good enough for her).

-

"Wow, not bad." Dahyun leaned over from the seat next to her while eyeing the grade. "Did going to the library help that much?" 

She hadn't told Dahyun about the mystery person she'd been corresponding with, not for lack of want, but because she herself was unsure of the situation.

It was a peculiar one to be sure, and she really couldn't rule anyone out- but she figured she knew Dahyun's handwriting well enough and relented.

"Well, there's someone who's been helping me actually." 

"Like a tutor?" 

"Sort of." 

She recounted everything to her friend, only pausing after she had finished to gauge their reaction.

"Do you have a note from them?" 

"Uh, yeah," She reached into her folder to pull out one of the papers. "Why?" 

"Huh." Dahyun nods, face oddly expressionless. "You go around the same time everyday right? Maybe if you go a little earlier you can see who uses the book before you." 

"Hey, you're right!"

-

Sprinting through the doors of the library, she barely slows her speed as she follows the now familiar path to the back, stopping just shy of the commons area to see a young looking woman hunched over the chemistry book in question. 

With dark, shoulder length hair, the woman appeared to be taking notes at a furious pace. 

One thing was for certain though, she was _cute_.

And that fact alone does not bode well with Chaeyoung because when it came to girls, cute girls- cute girls who were really smart, she became an awkward mess.

(Another minute passes before the woman lifts her head from the textbook and wow, yeah, Chaeyoung needed to leave).

Quickly shuffling to the opposite end of the room, she slumps against one of the bookshelves of the reference section and tries to dispel the heat from her cheeks while digging her phone from her pocket. 

_To Dubu: Dahyun help she's cute_

_From Dubu: What?_

_To Dubu: Reference book girl! She's cute! What do I do???_

_From Dubu: Uh, I don't know, talk to her? Like a normal human?_

_To Dubu: I can't T.T_

_From Dubu: Come on, Mina isn't scary at all, trust me._

_To Dubu: Mina?!?_

"Excuse me..."

A soft voice breaks her focus and suddenly she's on her feet in an instant, clearly startling the other party. 

"I- I just need to put this back." 

"Right, yeah, sorry. I was just- sitting."

They exchange tight smiles before she moves out of the others way, thinking back to Dahyun's text.

"Uh, you wouldn't happen to be- Mina, would you?" 

There's a brief moment in which she really wished she'd stayed quiet, but then the woman is turning around and giving her a small smile. "Yes, that's me. And you are?"

"Ah, I'm- my name is Chaeyoung. I'm the one who keep leaving stuff in that book." She huffed out a light breath, pointing to the book the woman- Mina- held.

"Oh! I see. It's so nice to finally meet you." Mina nods quickly. "Uh, but how did you know my name?" 

"I didn't, but, do you happen to know Dahyun in some way?" 

"Dahyun? You mean Sana's Dahyun?" 

"Sana's Dahyun?"

They're left staring at one another, each with equally puzzled looks until Sana herself rounds the corner, "Did someone say my name?" 

-

Through a short conversation, she finds that Sana and Dayhyun have been dating for a good month, and that Mina was Sana's roommate. 

-

("You're dating someone? And didn't tell me?"

"It never came up?")

-

"Do you like cream? I wasn't sure, so I brought extra just in case," She handed the coffee to Mina and settled herself next to the latter on the bench.

"Thank you." 

"I should be thanking you, you kind of saved my grade." Chaeyoung laughed, blowing on her own steaming cup. 

"Ah, it was nothing. I'm just glad I could help." 

"Can I ask you something?" 

"Sure." 

"Why did you answer all my questions? I mean, how did you know I'd be back?" 

"Well," Mina turned slightly as her cheeks reddened slightly, "honestly? I had been watching you the first day you came in."

"Oh?"

"N-not in like a weird way," Mina was quick to amend, "I was just waiting to use the book myself and you- seemed to really be struggling." 

It was Chaeyoung's turn to blush now. "Ah, yeah, I had no idea what I was doing." 

"I had that intro class with Dr. Park last semester, that's why I know a lot of the material." 

"Really? That makes sense actually."

"I'd be happy to help you, if you wanted some of course." 

"Uh, yeah for sure. I could definitely use it." 

"Okay," Mina handed her a small scrap of paper before standing from the bench, "this is my number. You can just text me whenever you need help." 

"Right." She nodded, standing up as well- gnawing gently on the inside of her cheek. "Uh, so what if I wanted to text you, just to text you? I mean- would you ever want to do something together, just, for fun?" 

"Yeah," Mina smiled brightly at her before humming, "I'd like that." 


End file.
